Departments & Programs

Major in Criminology

The criminology program at Merrimack College provides students with an understanding of crime that recognizes the complex relationship between society and its members.

Courses in criminology focus on the degree to which people’s lives are influenced by broader socio-cultural, political-economic, and historical forces. The study of criminology cultivates critical thinking and informed analysis about the legal system, crime, and systems of punishment and social control. The criminology program at Merrimack College examines how inequalities of race, class, gender, age, and sexuality are intertwined with systems of control and punishment. Students learn the theoretical perspectives and research methods criminologists use to systematically study the multifaceted aspects of crime.